Bryce hummed along the radio following I5 south into Burbank. He contacted Orion for a change of vehicle color as he removed the disguise and shoved the bag with the gloves under the front seat.
He exhaled forcefully and headed to the front door of the Apt in Echo Park. He was almost to the door when a thick as a tree trunk arm snaked out around his throat and was dragged into a nearby apt. The face of Reagan in the photo gave Bryce the clue that he was in the presence of the man who shot him years ago.
"Larkin I should shoot you where you are standing!" Casey hissed in his ear.
"Ok big guy that was just a misunderstanding. OK I come to talk to Sarah. OK?" Bryce was able to whisper as Casey's arm threatened to crush his windpipe.
As Casey was about to end Bryce's miserable existence the bearded wonder came knocking at the door.
"Hey er Casey can we talk?" Morgan asked.
It was about Alex. Casey knew the short runt had the hots for his Daughter.
"Not now Grimes!" Casey said holding Bryce with one hand as he looked at the moron in front of him.
"No I will not entertain that thought!" Morgan said pushing the big man back as he enter this allowed Bryce to twist out of Casey's grip and fall to the floor with a thud.
Morgan heard the thud and was immediately confronted with a passed out Bryce behind Casey's door.
"Bryce Larkin…? I thought he was dead? You shot him right?" Morgan started babbling.
While the confusion in Casey's apt was continuing Bryce awoke to a scream which was unmistakably Sarah's.
Bryce jumped up and before Casey could grab him he darted into the Woodcomb residence.
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Sarah was passed out on the floor. There was no one else in the apt.
He soft cradled Sarah's head in his lap and called her name.
"Sarah…Sarah" Bryce said over and over.
Sarah slowly awoke to feel hands supporting her. Opening her eyes she could not focus but it looked like Bryce.
"I must be dreaming…Bryce Larkin is dead." Sarah said closing her eyes again.
"Sarah…Sarah you are not in a dream…I'm really here." Bryce said.
You are…? Sarah asked then Bryce was hit with a massive slap which made him think staying with Casey was much better than this. "You Bastard…! You faked your death! How could you do that to Chuck?!"
"Chuck…?" Bryce said as he went down for the count.
Morgan and Casey ran into the living room to see Sarah standing over the prone Bryce with her pistol drawn.
"Now Sarah…Don't do anything rash" Morgan said.
"This piece of filth was cradling my head and you say don't do anything Rash?" Sarah said almost pulling the trigger.
"Wait…" Casey said. "We need him alive."
At this point the general came on the view screen.
"Good Agent Walker, Casey you have caught Bryce Larkin. What was he doing here?" The redhead General asked.
"General we do not know Agent Walker subdued him before we could ascertain his reason for showing up." Casey said.
At this point Orion had to step in. He had been monitoring Bryce ever since he left the safety of his abode.
"Stop…!" Orion said appearing in the midst of things.
"Oh great Orion is mixed up in this thing too?" The redheaded general said out loud.
"General… Just let me have this traitorous slime I know exactly what I need to do!" Casey said.
"Agent Casey you will do no such thing. Agent Larkin is under my protection. Do I need to demonstrate my willingness?" Orion warned.
Casey opened his mouth then thought better of it and closed it without saying a word. Orion is a fearsome enemy one he would not want especially now when The Moron 1 is in the hospital.
"Good Agent Walker Help up Bryce." Orion commanded.
Orion cut the transmission to the general and soon they were all calming down. Morgan who had not seen Orion's appearance before was awestruck.
Casey was still glowering at Bryce when Sarah applied an ice pack to where she slapped him.
Bryce now awake took the ice pack. It stung when placed on his face.
Morgan was still trying to figure out how Orion was there but not there at the same time.
"OK Bryce your appearance got me mad." Sarah said barely controlling her anger at her former partner. "…what are you doing here?"
"He came at my behest" Orion said.
"Why…?" Sarah said switching her gaze to the apparition in the living room.
"I will let you hear that story from the man himself." Orion said then disappeared.
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Bryce slowly recovered his speech after being choked by Casey and slapped unconscious by Sarah. It was not one of his better days and then his leg was starting to bleed again.
"Sarah you have blood on you." Morgan stated.
"Blood…? It is not mine Morgan." Sarah stated,
"It is coming from his leg!" Morgan said rushing to get gauze.
"Do something Moron!" Casey said.
"If there was one thing staying with Ellie and Chuck gave me was where the first aid was stored. It was drilled into me by Ellie." Morgan said as he left.
Morgan returned then ripped the pants leg to get to the thigh wound.
Bryce winced as he removed the self sealing pad and replaced it with the new gauze. The wound was stopped from bleeding any further.
"Damn there goes my disguise!" Bryce said looking at the torn trousers.
Morgan was confused by that statement.
"Well look they are ordinary trousers to me." Morgan said.
"OK Moron we have had enough, Larkin start speaking. What was Orion talking about in reference to you?" Casey asked.
"May I have a glass of water or maybe something stronger for the pain?" Bryce asked.
"I know where Ellie keeps the booze!" Morgan said running off and returning with a tray of 4 glasses each with 2 fingers of scotch.
Each of the four took one and then downed it. Bryce winced as his did not go down smooth.
"Ok Larkin you had your fortification. Now talk!" Casey ordered.
"The reason I'm here was to warn Sarah about not taking the job Beckman offered you." Bryce said.
"How did you know about that?" Sarah asked.
"Job Walker what job?" Casey asked.
"Well it was just recent and I have not said anything because I was not too sure about leaving Chuck in the hospital." Sarah said.
"Ok I get that but what about the mission?" Casey asked.
"I'm supposed to infiltrate Volkoff Industries and make contact with Frost a CIA agent who nobody knows that has been in deep cover for over 15 years." Sarah said.
"15 years? Are they sure that person is still alive and had not switched sides during that time? I heard of deep cover missions lasting a while but 15 years…That is a new one on me." Casey said.
"What did you say the code name was Sarah?" Morgan asked.
"Frost… Morgan" Sarah said.
"Frost huh? That is funny Chuck would always mention a Frost. It was someone his Mother knew about when we were growing up. I have not heard that name in a long time." Morgan said.
"Wait Morgan you are the repository on all things Chuck related…When did his mother disappear?" Sarah asked.
"When well let me think when Chuck was about 7 or 8 if I remember correctly since it been a very long time since his Mother was ever spoken about." Morgan said.
"That would have been about the time Frost first reports about Volkoff started appearing in the CIA records." Sarah said.
"What are you talking about?" Bryce asked "You are not really considering taking this assignment?"
"It makes sense! Frost is Chuck's Mom! I knew he had to have learned those martial arts skills from somewhere! His Mother is the source of these files." Sarah said.
"You have to be kidding…The Mo…er Chuck had a CIA spy for a Mother?" Casey said.
"It makes sense…He had always had knowledge even in college on spy craft that most would not know." Bryce said. "To think I was trying to keep him from his family legacy."
"What did you say Larkin?" Casey asked.
"You all know Orion is Chuck's Dad…He contacted me in College to prevent Chuck from being recruited into the CIA." Bryce said. "Now I'm beginning to suspect it was the wrong thing to do."
"You did those mean things to him just to what protect him?" Sarah said with her eyes flashing once again.
"Walker Calm down…He was under orders…You know you have to do some mighty unpleasant things while under orders so cut Larkin some slack." Casey said.
"I'd never thought I would see the day that the Great John Casey would be defending the actions of Bryce Larkin!" Morgan said.
Casey stared at the little man and Morgan immediately shut up.
"Say Sarah what do I hear that Graham was killed?" Bryce asked changing the subject.
"Yeah that happened just after the success of the Meadow brook mission. It seems like Fulcrum was sending a retaliatory message. They rigged his limo to explode over a gas main leak. It took out 5 city block in downtown DC. It was all over the news…Bryce how long have you been out in the cold?" Sarah said with some compassion.
"So did not Meadow brook destroy 58 homes in the subdivision since it was set up over a pocket of Natural Gas?" Bryce said.
"Yeah that is why we always suspected Fulcrum behind this attack." Casey said.
"Well let me ask you…What if it was not Fulcrum?" Bryce said.
"If it was not Fulcrum then who? The director had many enemies. Are you saying it is not related to the Meadow Brook explosion?" Sarah asked.
"Oh it is definitely related to the Meadow brook explosion. It could be no doubt having his limo explode over a leaky gas main in DC! There are no coincidences in this business" Bryce said.
Casey looked at Larkin for a moment with his arms crossed.
"What was the Meadow Brook mission about now that is it over I suppose you can say something about it?" Bryce asked.
"It was the location of Fulcrum's intersect" Sarah said.
"Who would know about the intersect other than Fulcrum?" Bryce asked.
"Frost…! Since she was Orion's mate she would know all about his creation! So you are saying Frost did this?" Sarah asked.
"I'm saying looking at a dead or dying agency or group would be convenient would you not say?" Bryce said.
"I'm with Larkin here. It was too convenient! I think the general should reopen that investigation." Casey said.
"So are you going to take the assignment?" Bryce asked.
"I'm still not sure. I think I need to discuss this with Ellie. She would know more." Sarah said.
"I see" Bryce said.
"Speaking of that it is my shift at the hospital." Sarah said.
"May I accompany you?" Bryce asked.
"You can not be joking Bryce with the different groups after you? You can not endanger Chuck that way!" Sarah said.
"They will not know it is me. Morgan is there some needle and thread around here so you can repair the damage you did to my trousers?" Bryce asked.
"Yeah I think Ellie keeps her sewing kit in the basement. I'll go and get it." Morgan said.
"Bryce I'll have credentials for Dr. Erwin Tooth for you at the desk" Orion said fading back in then out again.
Morgan found the sewing kit and Bryce did a passably job mending the ripped trousers. Once finished Sarah dressed in her Dr. Plenty outfit followed Bryce to his truck. There he donned the mask and gloves.